According to the order of operations, expressions inside parentheses are evaluated first, while addition and subtraction are evaluated last. For the given expression, this means evaluating the expression inside the brackets completely before evaluating exponent and adding.
(3-4^2)^2+8
Notice also that even within this parenthetical expression, we must obey the order of operations.
3-4^2
For this, we must remember to evaluate the exponent first and then find the difference.
Operation
Before Simplification
After Simplification
Calculate power
(3- 4^2)^2+8
(3- 16)^2+8
Subtract term
( 3-16)^2+8
( -13)^2+8
Calculate power
(-13)^2+8
169+8
Add terms
169+8
177
The expression equals 177.
Alternative Solution
Using a Calculator
We can also evaluate this expression using a calculator. To do so, type it as shown below.
